Tempered glass insulators, first developed in the mid-1930s by the UK using thermal toughening technology, have proven their exceptional performance through decades of production and field application. Here are their key advantages over traditional porcelain insulators:

Self-Shattering & Easy Inspection
The self-breaking feature—unique to tempered glass insulators—turns a quality concern into a maintenance benefit. Defective units shed their entire sheds upon failure, allowing visual detection from the ground or helicopter without pole climbing, slashing labor costs and downtime.

Outstanding Arc & Vibration Resistance
Lightning strikes leave only smooth, glassy surfaces thanks to the tempered stress layer, preserving insulation integrity and mechanical strength.

Anti-Aging & Self-Cleaning
Glass surfaces resist contamination and are easily cleaned. After 35 years in service, electromechanical properties remain identical to new units with no aging observed.

Uniform Voltage Distribution & High Capacitance
With a dielectric constant of 7–8, glass insulators ensure even voltage distribution across strings, minimizing radio interference, corona loss, and premature aging near terminals.

High Strength & Lightweight Design
Tempering boosts tensile strength to 5× annealed glass and 2× porcelain. Compact dimensions (enabled by glass’s higher dielectric constant) reduce weight by up to 30% versus porcelain equivalents.

Near-Unbreakable Dielectric
The dense structure withstands 1,350–1,700 kV/cm impulse strength (3.8× porcelain), offering absolute protection against lightning surges.

Thermal Stability
Rigorous thermal shock tests confirm reliability. Matched thermal expansion coefficients with cement/metal fittings prevent long-term degradation.